Rise Of The Daeva Chapter One
by Maegyn
Summary: Hints of ROMANCE so if you don't like mushie scenes you may not enjoy this entirely , ACTION, humour I hope , mystery, and specifically horror if I continue writing. The beginning  I know is "dumb" however it's how I dreamed it. I'd say it gets better...


[Writer's Note] – I haven't actually played Aion, strange to suddenly write about it I know but I have read somewhat a lot about it/the lore and I really like it. However I am NOT going by EVERYTHING officially. Therefore I'm changing and adding things in as my own taste and views so if you're a fan of Aion and know its history like the back of your hand and you realize something is clearly incorrect, it's purposely done. Aion is really the blueprint of the story.

Thanks!

One

She leaped up the stairs taking three by three. Every couple seconds she glanced down at her _cellpager_ that glowed 3D the time and the precious seconds ticking away she has left to reach her destination. Why must human massive online multiplayer games be so appealing enough to distract the mind from reality and responsibility? Damn it!

She burst through the last door but her speed didn't diminish. Luckily the shop she works at is one of the nearest to the staircase… however it is on the third floor. _I'm sick of stairs!_ She growled to herself and fluently brushing past a group of oblivious young iow-humans she exclaimed out of breath, "Flaëce!" and flexed her outstretched arms as her facedown palms contained the balls of swirling magik that suddenly blasted her up in the air mid-run. A choir of gasps and even a screech echoed around this vast mall district and she couldn't help but smirk. She didn't mean to release that much magik in a mere wind spell and especially with her still sleepy arm muscles, arms-hands being the only thing that hold up/bring the rest of the body up with the flaëce spell underneath the brief urgent push of the invisible orbs. Perhaps it was a good thing she had to let go early because she soared high above the busy highways of busy people bustling about nonetheless and ironically enough the elevation of gravity awakened her passion and lively nature. It didn't matter that she perilously neared an opening in the landing on the third floor, she awaited it with a grand smile. More gasps and screams erupted as she began to fall. Timing her motions she pushed herself forwards/upside-down so her back faced the store Fairy Fire right ahead and with her palms facing the floor yards below for half a second seemingly floating doing a handstand in the air, "Flaëce," and backward flipping herself up and over to the third floor again.

_Oooh shi-!_

She didn't see the greyish skinned male in her way the first time. Her stomach churned.

"Horfa sjálfur!"

Whether or not her counterpart rendered her warning she purposely said in native tongue he continued simply staring. He stood his ground and instead lifted a hand after a moment. She stretched a nervous leg out realizing the opportunity of a safer landing despite the threat and instinctual urge to battle. She landed on his palm and somersaulted forwards to land on her toes and quickly dash away.

She ran into Fairy Fire and straight to the machine that would tell the technological computer system that _Maeve Icefeather_ is on time for work.

"THAT'S RIGHT! BIONEX YOU CAN KISS MY ARSE!" she threw a fist into the air in exclamation before collapsing in exhaustion beside the square counter where the two co-workers, her good friends, sat on wooden stools.

"Hahaha imagine if Bionex heard you now? The look on his face would be hilarious!" Nakayta laughed, "You'll be mopping the floors in Citadel for a week, _again_."

"Haven't you finished half the library by now actually?" Layla added giggling as well. "We have to buy more books so you can keep reading as you clean!"

"_Pssh!_ Why do you make it sound like I'm the guilty one? We've all washed the floors at some point! Those naughty guards just love standing around eyeing us all wet and on our knees don't they?" That brought back memories for the three of them and they all laughed again. A little game made up in a second for entertainment called '_who can be the most flirtatious_?'Layla and Nakayta's amused expressions turned surprised taking notice to the guest entering their unassuming candle knickknack amass. They immediately eyed Maeve as if to telepathically warn her _heads up!_

"Kveðjur Alan," Layla smiled.

"Yo," Nakayta nodded.

"Kveðjur," Alan nodded to the young ladies. He looked at Maeve now apparently lying for the sake of the cool ground… ignoring him totally.

"Maeve hvað í fjandanum var þetta?"

"That my friend was magik," Maeve smiled to herself.

Alan scoffed at the reply. "You weren't in danger-why in Aion's name would you do something like that? You know we aren't permitted to waste **aether** which is more valuable than anything else to us presently. It is the only thing keeping us alive over here."

Maeve accepted the offered hand and Alan pulled her up. "Don't even get me started!" Maeve had her hands on her hips looking in another direction. Alan grimaced. "Do you think any of us enjoy being in this world we were _forced into_? I want to spread my arms and feel the passions of soaring in the never ending skies of Atreia!" she spread her arms dreamily, "I wish to return and directly serve under our world's god Aion and fight for what is rightfully ours! We are _daeva!_ But _nooo!_ we're limited to doing nothing but run shops to _occupy_ us until what? Hmm? I'm still waiting!"

Three iow-human females barely into their teens loomed into the store wanting to see the humanoid more closely that had seemingly flown before their very innocent eyes. Maeve didn't notice them having the posture of some one giving a supreme speech, her eyes closed as if every sight appalled her.

"Excuse me?" one of the girls spoke not wanting to be rude yet too excited to resist.

"Come on Maeve don't be so dejected!" Alan now trying to woo his perturbed lady into happier spirits walked around to stand in the direction her face is turned and though her eyes are closed she faced another direction. "You know things aren't that simple." Alan won't be getting on his fiancée's good side today no matter how hard he tries. He wants to continue seriously about the daeva dilemma-the _elyos_ dilemma as far as he cares however the company of the humans stops all Atreia based conversations hence why the two races of daeva normally speak in their own tongue, Elyos and Asmodian. All Atreia issues are utmost confidential and advised to be spoken only in Citadel (a makeshift capital built by daeva hundreds of feet beneath _mall_) where nothing but daeva can strictly enter. The leaders of this world are no exceptions to why the daeva are truly in this world and are kept convincingly in the dark concerning many matters…

"Wow… this store is amazing," one of the girls muttered mesmerized by the dozens of hanging twinkling crystal chimes. "I've never seen such a cool candle shop. I know one by my house but nothing like this. Cool! What's this?"

Nakayta didn't bother with the customers being too entertained by the feuding pair who moved into one of the farthest parts of Fairy Fire, Maeve trying to pretend she had to stock items and Alan following, both bickering in Elyos trying to be somewhat quiet.

"That's a boonin sphere," Layla replied watching the little girl examine the transparent ball fascinated with the floating glittering particles inside. "It's wonderful at cleansing the air when it becomes too thick with negativity." When the girl and her friends looked at Layla confused she explained basically, "Negative energies such as anger and stress."

"So it's like a mood lifter?"

"Yeah," Layla answered followed by a winning smile and leaning over the counter quietly to admit something in a whisper to the incited girls, "One makes a wicked nightlight because the boonin particles aren't that bright. I always have one beside my bed."

"That's so cool!"

"I'm gunna buy it!"

"What about this? It smells sweet!"

"THAT!" Maeve darted into view quickly trying to find an excuse to engage herself. The girls grinned wide remembering why they originally entered this mystical store. "That…" Maeve gestured for the girl to hand her the tiny glass bottle. She straightened in posture, Alan right behind her. "Ah this is one of my favourite scents. This is a concentrated fragrance of the flower drakemoondas. It's a special and hard to find flower in my world that only blooms at night… You know," Maeve baited though she enjoys reminiscing her world's facts and history, "It is said drakemoondas is a name derived from a dragon that came from one of the sister moons in my world and couldn't return. When it died it's will to return was so everlasting and powerful that it became a beautiful flower that grows among the tallest of mountains as if still trying to return to its home…"

The girls were definitely interested at the short tale, and somewhat sad. "Why couldn't the dragon return?"

Maeve shrugged her shoulders also getting rid of Alan's hand. He swore under his breath in Elyos. "No one really knows. It is believed to have happened shortly after the creation of our world Atreia."

"Some say it was tricked…" Nakayta spoke thoughtfully leaning back against the inner counter while seated on a stool. "What a stubborn flower," she giggled.

"Dragons exist?"

"Oh of course…" Layla answered, "And very dangerous they can be if disturbed!"

"I want this one!" The girls exclaimed each taking particular fragrance bottles to their liking. "Maybe I can fly like a dragon! Like you Maeve!"

Maeve only smiled and watched them pay for their purchases. Each of them pulled out _cards_ as payment and it reminded her of where she is and these aren't the humans she's accustomed too back in Atreia, they are _iow_ meaning counterfeit. Just the thought of staying in this _technological_ world that never seems to stop buzzing is making her hair turn grey. It was more of a catastrophic shock to the daeva than the creatures of this world when they appeared… People have tried to make mall as _homey_ as possible. It does indeed have a magikal atmosphere and different styles and items to offer making these humans and other creatures feel they are no longer walking on this dreary world but in a vibrant wonderland. Business is undoubtedly successful for the entire building.

It is fake, all of it compared to the real thing. It doesn't touch the soul. No matter what they do to the air cooling it-heating it the smell of contamination dwells burning sensitive nostrils, nothing feels clean, the life forms are dead inside, and there is no magik and life here. She wants to be home in the open skies of Atreia in Elysea once again even if it means fighting the worst of her ancestors, the mutated balaur, whom have ransacked their world almost completely.

The balaur were once known as drakan, a mighty beautiful intelligent winged race created by Aion to watch-protect the planet's population (including the human races) and to protect the Tower Of Eternity that is an important display of Aion's strength, presence, and a fine source of life aether (Aion's power) to his world Atreia. The drakan quickly became fixated with power and servitude and their obsession eventually threatened the Tower of Eternity after violating the restrictions that Aion placed on them, forcing the god to create stronger followers the Empyrean Lords to safeguard the planet and its people from drakan…

During this delicate urgent time of war a race similar to the drakan were created called daeva to aid the Empyrean Lords. Perhaps created is not the best choice of wording for this new species… In a case of one in one thousand a human is naturally born with more magikal aether than usual and even the capability to manipulate the power and these particular humans were given the opportunity to attempt dangerous tests of might to become daeva. The chance of success was very slim indeed while such a person to come by was rarer. To have wings/be ascended as daeva is the ultimate win, and in time the population grew and prepared themselves alongside the Lords.

During the largest demoralizing battle Atreia has ever faced of opposing forces the centre of the precious Tower Of Eternity that evidently kept their world whole was obliterated… Things spiralled straight down from there.

Alan grabbed Maeve's arms to stop her from walking away. The iow-humans paused by the store entrance/exit to stare at the glamorous couple gazing into each others eyes. Elyos have that glowing beautiful effect to all onlookers.

"I just want you safe, okay?" Alan's thumb caressed his fiancée's cheek, his hazel eyes showing sincerity and a grave caring for. Maeve let him pull her into an intimate embrace in front of everyone followed by a loving kiss.

"I'll get us out of here," he whispered against her lips, "If you can stay out of trouble for a day that'd be great too. I don't want to have to patrol my woman's section of the mall every ten minutes."

Maeve smirked, their faces still very close, "I don't know about that… I could sure use _your_ _assistance_ ever ten minutes…" she pinched his stomach while he was stunned by her blunt words so he flinched backward. His eyes narrowed staring at his smiling beautiful future mate. He knows the saying _looks can be deceiving_ fits her too well for his liking but he cannot help but cherish and believe in her. "Stay out of trouble. I can't always save your butt when you get in trouble."

"Yes Sir!" Maeve straightened and saluted, "Have fun on 'em rounds," Alan winced at the iow-human slang and she began ushering him out. "Bring me a beverage at noon!" she waved after him as he walked away shaking his head mixing into the crowds of bustling people outside the shop. "Chol-…ch…"

"Chocolate," Nekayta offered now seemingly bored behind the counter.

"A _chocolate_ flavour beverage! Four for all of us!" Maeve added lastly. She turned back into their shop with her head tilted. "Why do I always forget that word? It's one of the most delicious things in this world."

"So…" Nekayta leaned forwards on the counter where Maeve leaned her back against.

"So nothing." Layla answered quickly. "Didn't you hear Alan? He's the only reason you're allowed out of Citadel anymore you know."

"But what is there to do here, dear cousin? Nothing needs to be stocked, everything sparkles, and no one here likes this stuff." What the three girls have stocked in Fairy Fire, candles, incense, orbs, fragrances, flowers, stones, statues, knickknacks, jewels, décor, dust (not the kind the top of your dresser gathers!), cloaks, wands, jewellery, and much more, these items are highly liked by the people of Atreia. Layla's family have been candle shop owners for generations and now it is her turn to take over the name Fairy Fire. Thus this is a big deal for her and yet it's been nothing but lacklustre. "The only people we get are iow who act very weird and we end up having to kick them out. Maeve I think you should wear a hat to hide your hair, it's attracting the weirdoes."

Maeve twirled a long strand of her white-pinkish hair with a distasteful face. "I will if it makes you feel better Layla." Maeve cut Layla off, "I understand it's painful here even if you did have dozens of customers daily… You don't have to pretend everything's perfect. I bet even the asmodian who are used to living in hellholes wish to ditch this place as soon as possible." Everyone wonders about their family, friends, homes… Is everything okay? Is there still life? Still hope? Maeve drew her friend into a comforting hug from over the counter.

Maeve barely caught red eyes pass by the opening to mall when she drew back. Aye… Once the same race… Since the cataclysm millennia's ago the single split between the daeva and Empyrean Lords occurred within the tower due to utter eradication by the chaotic aether explosions and confusion. The battle was so mighty the centre of the Tower Of Eternity shattered severing Atreia into two halves however still barely keeping the world whole. The centre of the tower became what the beings of Atreia came to call the Abyss, a dimension of nothing but horror, fire, floating chunks of charred land, violent bolts of chaotic aether wreak destruction still for no true purpose, black holes, voids, tearing at Atreia inside out, there is nothing but death, brutality, and ill memories in the Abyss. Somehow most drakan survived the devastation although mutated into horrifying beasts which we now know as balaur during the occurrence; they flourish within the Abyss, the dimension between the two halves of the world where they tried to overpower Aion by stealing his power from the tower that once gave life and hope. We believed it would forever be there knew home.

One of the two alignments of daeva has clear physical differences due to the asmodians; they renamed themselves, upper half of Atreia they fled too and claimed calling it Asmodae_. _Asmodae is a far darker, harsher, and dangerous territory to live in as if having taken the brunt of the world's devastation, of which is has. Thousands of years of adaptation the asmodians are rougher and bulkier in appearance, eyes are red to see better in darkness from lack of natural light, clawed hands and feet for greater defence and to simply live in such terrain, darker skin tones (shades of grey, blue), manes/tails grow along their spine from their neck to tailbone, far darker or sometimes sinister wings, the tipping scale is completely tipped to having no similarities to their counterpart daeva they once were. The others, the elyos they renamed themselves overtime kept their daeva-drakan appearance with their slender bodies, eloquent features; having a sense of light and glory about them, fair skin, light eyes, lighter wings, because the lower half of Atreia they fled too was where the original daeva city still stood along with fairly fertile lands and passive creatures after the devastation. There is no blockage of the grand sun so life grows freely and the world looks very close to what it once was through much work. They named this half _Elysea_.

The Empyrean Lords having unknowingly split quite equally in the disorder eventually renamed themselves as well. The Five Seraphim Lords of the Elysea and The Five Shedim Lords of Asmodae.

Upon viewing each other for the first time human ages later adventuring within the Abyss being led by their utmost Lords there was immediate hostility and curiosity… Could it be there were survivors? Each side of Atreia believed they were the only ones to survive the catastrophe of the tower. Both insisted they were insulted immediately by the other for the great divide, blaming the other for the world's demise, abandonment, and the heat between the finger pointing proud races rocketed permanently when the high lord Zikel of the asmodians in rage captured and executed high lord Deltras of the elyos back in Asmodae after the massacre… This moment in time is known as the historical massacre of Morheim (a once beautiful city located at centre of Atreia) thus leading to the instinctual blood thirst for the counterparts flesh. Wars have ravaged poor Atreia since its very creation. In their pent up-bred in the bone hatred for the other the elyos and asmodian never figured the balaur whom they thought had eventually lost their intelligence would plan to ransack both worlds. And successful they were.

However an interesting question is… Upon fleeing and some having no choice but be forced into holes entering the scorching Abyss… Has anyone before figured out a black pit-some sort of void could suck up objects and spit them out in another world if not one or the other side of Atreia?

It is unheard of… Of course reiterating Maeve's frequent worrisome fear she bets five hundred ashen crystals the handful of asmodian and elyos here are also fearing… Let's say daeva have been sucked in to these things, however, they couldn't return home to report the important information… _What if the daeva cannot find a way back? What if we're stuck in this dimension forever? _

Maeve gestured with her finger for a moment. She suspiciously neared mall opening… She scanned each direction and the passers…

"What is it?" Layla asked and approached warily, more hesitant as if trouble is once again hunting them and some one has yet to find it.

"I've seen two asmodian already…"

"Great Aion!" Layla threw her arms up in the air and turned around. "I'll get started on making maid suits for us! That's all we'll be here!"

"Asmodian?" Nekayta hopped the counter, "When?"

"A minute ago I saw red eyes and before that I actually touched one on my way up here-"

"Touched one?"

"Are you sure it wasn't just a creature of this world with red eyes?" Layla spoke quickly, hopefully, God Aion forbid something happens to her merchandise.

"Aye…" Maeve leaned against the left wall of the wide doorway still staring out into the moving talkative crowds. "It makes me wonder how well these guards are actually doing their job. When Alan came in I thought it was to give me shit about touching an asmodian after getting it back beneath the surface. Why didn't anyone see him? And why did he or another one come by Fairy Fire again?" Nekayta and Maeve looked over to Layla and she immediately tittered nervously.

"I don't know! I didn't take anything of theirs! Never! The last time I saw one I fainted!" It's easy to tell if Layla were lying, and she isn't this time.

"They aren't allowed on the surface because of their shocking harsh wild appearance, you'd think some one would have pointed one of them out screaming in terror-" Nekayta gasped when beads of the necklace around her neck she made days earlier spilled to the marble tiles of mall. She grabbed several times for the string before it fell out of reach. "What the?" she knelt down upset looking at the scattered crystal beads. When she brought the string to her attention her eyes widened and she grabbed onto Maeve's leg to get her notice. "It was cut!"

"Are you serious?" Maeve snatched the string fascinated by the notion. "So they have stealth assassins of some sort?" Maeve nodded to herself, "And to get that close to your bust and not be seen? Wow!"

"Damn asmodian bastards!" Nekayta shook her fist to no one in particular though some iow-people slowed to watch the scene the two young otherworldly women were unfolding. "That took forever to make!"

Maeve's sharp aquamarine eyes narrowed on something intruding, or whether, protruding. She walked over to the far wooden doorway post and pulled out a black needle-like knife. Wherever this asmodian was judging by the angle of which the weapon had sunk… somewhere high to the left and it is very masterful if Nekayta isn't scraped. This without a doubt sets her curiosity on a much higher pedestal. She looked to her friends picking up the beads mumbling to each other, they didn't see what she had found. Should she tell them? There have already been two asmodian deaths and five elyos, the last thing Maeve wants to do is feed the flames of loathing.

"Maybe we can get a guard stationed right outside the shop," Layla mentioned always hopeful.

"No way." Nekayta definitely doesn't like that idea of being basically babysat although she's not too keen either about her necklace situation and if asmodian are about. She glanced at Maeve who began helping pick up the scattered beads. _What should I say?_

"With a guard so close by Layla…" Maeve began with a smirk. Nekayta caught on fast and her lips curled too. "You won't be able to make your bath lotion the way you like. Cooking the liquid with magik flame makes it so wonderful… it'd be a shame if you couldn't make it anymore…"

Layla lost her breath. _No more lotion? _Baffled, she cleared her throat pretending her friend's words had no effect on her composed features. _Half decent bath products… or telling Citadel the sketchy news…_ _Damn._

"Well I guess I'll let this slip. I mean Nekayta wasn't hurt after all and it isn't a big deal until one of us is personally assaulted, right? And why am I worrying when I have you two here?" Layla reasoned more to herself not wanting to feel guilty. She ducked her head adding in a whisper, "We _are_ trained party members and are quite balanced in abilities. I know I've never been great help but we've faced one or two, three asmodian at a time and won, or at least escaped with our lives. Multiple times have we been caught in outnumbered circumstances with monsters and come out victorious." Maeve and Nekayta nodded approvingly of Layla's obvious logical reasoning.

Layla is a fairly different elyos… She was born into Elysea by wizard elyos parents though she's always argued she's more human than anything therefore prefers living alongside the human folk she believes to have blood relation with dating back centuries on her mother's side. She has never discussed taking on a class as Maeve and Nekayta have naturally shifted into, she rarely reveals her wings and battles, but she is an elyos nonetheless. Having taken on the inherited role of shopkeeper naturally in Atreia some of her stocked items were so amazing elyos would fly down from Sanctum (the remade elyos city) to browse her within Fairy Fire and with the help of her dignified elyos friends the shop blossomed wonderfully although it was only reopened four months before the balaur raids…

When the beads were collected into a pouch Layla produced from a pocket she watched her conversing friends enter Fairy Fire. It isn't like Layla to think on the terms of revenge, she's too sweet for such thoughts yet looking at the crammed store it saddens and infuriates her to remember why she is here. The village she called home where her genuine store stands, friends, and human family live… The last thing she remembers is screaming…

Layla watched her friends laugh over something, she smiled. If those two weren't with her during this time… She might have given up optimism first and then quite possibly, her life. She didn't know the ones who have done so already but she wants to make certain none of her friends or actual family in Nekayta's case ever ponder such a decision when there still is hope.

Ж Ж Ж

"You should have waited for him…" Layla glanced over her shoulder although the candle shop is far away by now. Since it is the start of a long weekend the elyos workers have the option of closing at noon. Of course in this large of a building a couple dozen stores closing barely tints the lively factor, there is never a time this building sleeps.

"He'll get the message on the wall," was Maeve's answer every time Layla brought the topic up.

"Yeah and where else are we going to go? Citadel? _Pssh!_ Almost everyone goes to the food-court after business hours. I hear they have dancing today in celebration of the long weekend."

"They must really like long weekends."

"No kidding-"

"Hello _Miss!_" some one reached out for Maeve and pulled her away. The iow-woman was very bouncy and had some sort of technological piece attached to one eye and ear, _cyborg_ lady? "Oh I'm sorry. I thought you were over the age twenty."

"I'm twenty-six…" Maeve spoke eyeing the lady innocently.

"What? You look under age! I suppose it's your species or the cuteness and that cosplay pinkish hair! Come in! Come in! I have some stuff for you that'll get the right man for sure!" Before Maeve could look to see if her friends noticed she was pulled into a dark store with many strange items she didn't recognize and the scents were beyond strange-unkind to her sense of smell.

What she did notice was the clothing… if you can call some of these pieces clothing.

"Sem er of sætur!" Maeve almost shouted blushing, she accepted the erotic sets the lady gave her.

"I do not recognize your language but judging your reaction you like lingerie!"

Maeve looked around almost fascinated. _All the folk I know make their own intimate garments. What in Aion's name is that?_

"Here you can change and I can help decide what best suits you!" Both women disappeared behind a velvet curtain.

Ж Ж Ж

Nekayta and Layla reached the food-court minutes later. Where the music was low a couple metres back, when they entered the section the music suddenly pumped loudly coming out of these giant black things. It wasn't loud enough to interrupt casual conversation, the change in volume frightened them nonetheless.

"See? What did I tell ya?" Nekayta pointed to all the elyos she spotted. "Who wants to be in Citadel with the council and asmodians? Some one boring that's who." She directed the last comment to her cousin who wanted to stay and run Fairy Fire or enter Citadel. Layla simply rolled her eyes.

As they approached making their way through the dancing mass they were halted almost immediately upon entering the more relaxed sitting area where they wanted to join their familiars and eat. Judging by the unique robes of the older gentleman this is an elyos superior of Citadel. He walked around the ladies darting his head about annoyed as if he can't find something. When he finally settled in front of them both ladies mentally gasped and gaped somewhere caught between shock and horror. What is the head of the elected council of Citadel doing out of his lair? Despite being an elegant elyos his rugged wrinkled face stared at the two young ladies harshly. "Isn't there three of you? Where is Icefeather?"

"Master Bionex, good afternoon," the ladies greeted and only hearing two of their voices speaking in unison they looked around themselves. Wasn't Maeve just with them?

Bionex tapped his foot impatiently, his eyebrow twitching with the beat of the music's hard bass. He undoubtedly is not look happy to be on the surface. Layla bit her lip and pretended that her eyes got distracted by something. "She told me she is going to visit Vaal and help her close shop. I don't know what they're going to do afterward." Nekayta hopes to lead him astray, the store Vaal runs is in the opposite direction of Fairy Fire. Typical Nekayta the words of a lie almost roll off her tongue fluently to defend a close friend even if from a scolding. Then run like hell and hide.

"I came from that direction and none of the guards patrolling those divisions claim to have seen her."

"She departed a minute ago Sir, no one would have seen her yet. Have you checked inside all the elyos businesses? You know Maeve always getting distracted!"

Bionex's old wrinkled eyes narrowed on the two as if he were reading them… The only one who seemed to fidget under his heavy stare was Layla Belle. _To be in high respects of the Seraphim Lords and be leader of the refugees here do they honestly think me stupid so much as to believe that? _"You best be telling the truth Miss Lakeshire. I want nothing but to see that the elyos under my protection are safe and happy."

"Is Maeve in some sort of danger?" Layla asked suddenly concerned and surprisingly looked in the direction of Vaal's store.

"There have been rumours…" Bionex began however the music drowning out the quieter tone he took on, "I only wish for her safety, especially a female elyos."

Layla looked to Nekayta who is still wearing a mask. If Bionex told them Maeve was dying she is sure Nekayta would still point in the opposite direction. They know Maeve better than that and if anything she probably got lost in franchise not understanding why one store or restaurant is identical to the other. Nekayta can track their close friend down in less than a minute, a scout on the path of the ranger it is to be expected of.

Bionex blinked. They aren't going to give him any more information. "If that is it then thank you for your time. Have a lovely lunch ladies." He didn't waste time in brushing passed a dozen iow-humans and finding one of his closest personal guards. His expression lost its glow and glee as he turned over the issue in his head several times. "Fan out the troops and report back Icefeather's location to me as soon as possible," he whispered into the guard's ear, "even if you have to get iow-humans or other creatures involved. I want to know her exact location at all times."

"What do you plan to do with her?" the guard asked monotone.

Bionex spat at him as if he said the most absurd thing, "Get rid of her when the time is right as I have the others… Yes. This time I'll blame the asmodian, sick creatures they are, by the end of the year there will be nothing but elyos left I can control." Bionex held his chin with a hand thoughtfully as he grinned at his supreme beliefs uncaring if any of the lower life forms heard. What can they do if they understand his great scheme? _Who wants to return to a world already ruled when another is free for the taking? Merely cut off the useless ones whom get in my way and eventually my empire will grow even with a handful of elyos…_ There is nothing better than when the dominos begin to fall in order, it is almost pleasuring to Bionex.

They've already begun tumbling.

"If my niece is anything like my deceased sister excluding appearance than it will indeed pose difficult to dispose of her… No doubt she carries the dominant idiotic genes of her father," he chuckled. "The chance of mishap is ever present nonetheless, if you or any other servants mess this up I'll personally demonstrate how I've been ripping aether out of asmodian and elyos alike."


End file.
